The demonstration was called by supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who commands significant influence over the streets, after Swedish police on Wednesday approved an assembly outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm where activists plan to burn the Quran and the Iraqi flag.
Skirmishes broke out as security forces fired water cannons and chased protesters away with batons in Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone where diplomatic missions are located, before firefighting trucks arrived to extinguish the flames.
Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee who burned the Quran last month outside a mosque in Stockholm, had organized the event outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm on Thursday, Sweden’s TT news agency reported.
The Iraqi foreign ministry strongly condemned the burning and said it has launched an “urgent” investigation to hold perpetrators to account.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the incident of burning the embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in Baghdad. This act comes in the context of assaulting diplomatic missions and threatening their security,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The ministry confirms that the Iraqi government has instructed relevant security authorities to conduct an urgent investigation and take necessary security measures to uncover the circumstances of the incident and identify the perpetrators of this act to hold them accountable,” it added.
Last month, Sadr called for demonstrations outside the Swedish embassy after Momika burned a copy of the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque. In the following day, the Swedish embassy was stormed by protesters.
At the time, Momika announced that he intends to repeat the burning of the Islamic holy book, and on Wednesday was granted approval to burn the Quran and the Iraqi flag outside Baghdad’s embassy in Stockholm.
Iraq is seeking the extradition of Momika after he burned the Muslim holy book so that prosecutors can take necessary measures to bring him to justice.